Australia to feel the heat of an Ashes overkill

Scyld Berry

IT IS not a good idea. In fact, back-to-back Ashes series is a terrible idea, which might well destabilise even further the fragile future of Test cricket.

Back-to-back Ashes series were justified after the First World War when the people of England and Australia were traumatised and desperate to see some reminder of normality. So England toured in 1920-21 and the Australian players joined them on the ship home for a series in England in 1921. Commercial greed is no justification for tampering with a schedule that has been sanctified by tradition for the simple reason that a four-year cycle is appropriate for the Ashes.

Ricky Ponting kisses a replica Ashes Urn in the changing rooms after day five of the third Test against England in 2006, the last time the Australia won the Ashes. Photo: Getty Images

Outside exceptional circumstances such as wartime, administrators have no more right to change this cycle than to stage the Olympics every three years.

The official pretext is that England and Australia are staging back-to-back series to de-link the Ashes from the World Cup.

England has been disadvantaged in the last three World Cups by turning up knackered after an Ashes series in Australia.

England will thus be able to concentrate on the next World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2015 (although the old schedule did not prevent Australia winning two of those three World Cups).

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There are two flaws in this argument, however. First, the next World Cup after 2015 is scheduled for England in 2019 - the same summer that brings another Ashes series.

De-linked? Ha, ha, ha.

Second, while it may be admissible to bring forward the next Ashes series in Australia from 2014-15, to de-link it from the next World Cup, why is there going to be another Ashes series in England in 2015?

For this, not the slightest justification exists. England will play 15 Tests against Australia in two years because administrators want to make sure the broadcasters pay their full whack in a recession.

This year could therefore see some wearisome stuff: 10 consecutive Tests against the same opponents, starting in July. The lack of variety has been tedious when England has played six consecutive Tests against New Zealand, away and at home, as in 2008, and against the West Indies in 2009.

Back-to-back Test series do not allow the losing side time to regroup and come back stronger. The second series tends to be merely more of the same, unless home advantage plays a significant part. Fortunately, this could be the case this year.

Australia has very narrowly lost its past two Ashes series in England, 2-1 in 2005 and 2009. Unless major developments unfold in the next six months, like Don Bradman being reincarnated, the margin this summer is going to be even bigger.